French Infantry replica sword belt with plug bayonet frog

[PoD]

Ahoy Maties

This belt is based on a 17th century French colonial infantry sword belt that would have worn during the Golden Age of Piracy.

With this belt I tried to keep historically accurate. The belt is 6cm wide and has a large 2 pronged period correct brass buckle.

There is a removable plug bayonet frog (which holds the John Barnett replica version). The buckle is off centre like the original belts to allow bellyboxes or cartridge pouches to be worn

£60

[callenish gunner]

Quite an attractive carriage there lad(?) even if it is FROGGY ...but then again many a Scotsman utilized French armaments if it meant fighting the English!!!

Edited May 25, 2009 by callenish gunner

[PoD]

Aye I'd like to think it had been plundered off some French Marine that the owner had dispatched to Davy Jones

[Hawkyns]

I saw an almost identical belt rig at Fort Matanzas in St. Augustine. I made a copy that works quite well. I have a belt axe through the verticle frog and a large plug bayonet on the angled frog. Works very well.

Hawkyns

[William Brand]

Gibbet is working on period belt buckles and he recently asked about period belt widths. Of course, I thought of this belt first and now I'm curious to know what widths you've come across in your research for belts and baldrics.

Beautiful work, by the way.

[PoD]

Thanks William

Basically with not having any dimensions on the image I found I kind of reverse engineered the whole thing. I found a period correct buckle that looked like the one in the picture and basically worked out all the other measurements by looking at the size of the strap compared to the size of the rivets and the buckle, and also the size of the sword they would have held.

I've come across a number of different belt widths depending on the period. Some of the ECW belts I have seen in the Royal Armouries range from quite thin hanger type belts made to strap around armoured breastplates to around 2" belts worn by foot soldiers.

The baldrics I have made have ranged from 2" Jacobite baldrics (1" if you count viking ones but thats a bit before period ha ha) up to 4" Velvet covered gentlemans baldrics from the 17th and early 18th century.

I should be doing a major research trip down to the british museum and the Victoria and Albert museums in London in the new year where I am hoping to get a lot more accurate information on actual examples of period leatherwork.

[Hawkyns]

Two other places to go. The Leather Museum in Northhampton had a few pieces last time I was there. Also, the York Museum. They had quite a few ECW swords and muskets with their associated equipment when I was there a couple of years ago.

Hawkyns

[William Brand]

Excellent. Take objects or a small ruler for scale when photographing anything at the museum, assuming they'll let you take pictures of course.

[Gentleman of Fortune]

I think civilian belts would be much smaller...

Like less than an inch wide. I had a good number of original buckles... now in the hands of Michael Bagley. I had one that looked exactly like the Arnish Moor buckle.

These buckles, or this buckle style was used well over 100 years... though the size changed.

The military ones seem to be larger, but the civilian ones can be quite small... smaller than you would think would be logical for a belt. I think there is a thread around here somewhere where this was discussed and I posted some period pics...

Good luck.

[PoD]

I got another one of these belts up for sale now in a slightly lighter tan colour. I am also interested in trading if anyone has a wool or linen waistcoat they want to part with (xxl size)

$97

Edited January 25, 2010 by PoD

[PoD]

Just made a new version of this belt made from natural split leather treated with waterproofing to look like a period buff leather belt and fastened together with copper rivets.

This leather is a lot cheaper so the price has come down to $60 (includes shipping)

[Lucas Welsh]

Just made a new version of this belt made from natural split leather treated with waterproofing to look like a period buff leather belt and fastened together with copper rivets.

This leather is a lot cheaper so the price has come down to $60 (includes shipping)

Another beautiful item shipmate, looks more real if you know what I mean. Hasn`t had the dirty grubby hands and months of grime on it which will really make this a handsome addition. Love it ..